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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have assumed Beavers was about camping rather than religion??

93 replies

23balloons · 27/09/2007 17:37

I recently got ds a place at Beavers. We have moved into the area in the last few months and I thought it would be a good way to meet local children as well as having fun, learning to tie knots etc.

He has just completed his 3 weeks trial and spent most of that time playing football, skittles, racing games, drawing etc. Last night when I collected him he had a pledge for next week and a list of what would be happening this term. A visit to Church, a night spent writing prayers, a night when parents come and read prayers, a request for him to attend a Harvest Festival mass in uniform at a local church- on at the same time we attend our own Catholic Church? We are Catholic and ds attends a Catholic School but out of the neighbourhood. I was quite shocked actually and had no idea that Beavers was so religious. I think he is doing a lot of this to obtain a 'faith badge'.

Does anybody know if this is the reason for the 'church' theme or was I totally naive? Are the Beavers are some sort of religious cult?

OP posts:
cornsilk · 27/09/2007 17:39

My ds goes to beavers - they do have a faith badge, which is probably what your ds is doing. There aren't loads of badges they can get in beavers, so our group do a new one each half term. They did the faith one and came out unscathed!

MaryBleedinPoppins · 27/09/2007 17:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cappuccino · 27/09/2007 17:40

beavers are not religious but they do have connections with local church usually

if he is doing a faith badge of course there will be more

have you been in and talked to them and expllained your faith? And asked if he can use his own faith as the basis for the badge?

you should be talkng to the leaders, not us.

MaryBleedinPoppins · 27/09/2007 17:41

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nell12 · 27/09/2007 17:42

I know scouts, guides and bownies have a strong religios leaning (or at least they used to!) Remember going to church in my brownie uniform and getting to carry the flag up the aisle, plus wearing uniform to school on Saints days

Is Beavers affiliated to scouts and guides?

MaryBleedinPoppins · 27/09/2007 17:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jacaranda · 27/09/2007 17:46

I think the mission statement says something about developing spirituality as well as physical and social skills?

MaryBleedinPoppins · 27/09/2007 17:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
23balloons · 27/09/2007 17:49

I think the problem I have is that there are no Catholic schools or churches in the immediate area but there seems to be a local community church - not even sure what religion it is, although possibly CofE.

Also our new next door neighbour is heavily involved in the Guides and her husband was heavily involved in the Scouts. All of the leaders are over 60 and there seems to be a lot of collusion between them. As we are new to the area I don't want to cause a lot of fuss and the Leader is not very friendly but I really thought it would be a good place for ds to meet new friends who live locally which is the main reason we joined. There is a jumble on the w/e and I have volunteered to help so I may try and ask a few questions then.

Thanks for the info so far.

OP posts:
goingfor3 · 27/09/2007 17:49

I thought there was a religious element, usually c of e though I know that there are Jewish scout groups.

Millarkie · 27/09/2007 17:53

My ds has just decided he wanted to drop Beavers after a few weeks trial. We have no organised religion (although he goes to a Quaker school) and he took offence at having to pledge to 'love God'
'But Mummy, I don't even know him!'

cornsilk · 27/09/2007 17:56

There are muslim scout groups too.

Blandmum · 27/09/2007 17:59

the believe in 'God' but the exact nature of the god isn't outlined.

Can be christian, mulsim, jewish, hindu etc etc

southeastastra · 27/09/2007 18:00

blimey people are blowing these things out of proportion.

Are the Beavers are some sort of religious cult?

yes they are

NorthernRockCod · 27/09/2007 18:01

we get one of these every week

these threads

EricL · 27/09/2007 18:04

The scout movement is inherently religious - but it looks like this pack is taking it a bit far. You expect some prayers and promises to God and all that shite - but not as extreme as this.

Mine hasn't encountered this kind of religious obsession yet.

unknownrebelbang · 27/09/2007 18:07

YAB slightly U.

Beavers is part of the scouting movement which has a religious foundation. I understand that the leaders have to affiliate themselves to a religion but not the children. Someone may prove me wrong there.

IME, other than a closing prayer, the St George's Day Parade and Remembrance Sunday, there is very little religion involved.

It sounds like he's doing the Faith Badge or the Faith Award, (Our group are currently doing this badge).

If you're unsure about something ask one of the leaders.

Glad you've volunteered to help out at the weekend - some groups need all the support they can get, and if they're all over 60 they may be looking for new leaders/volunteers.

What do you mean by collusion?

unknownrebelbang · 27/09/2007 18:10

EricL, if they're doing either of the Faith badges they're not taking it a bit far, they're learning about either their own or other faiths.

"You expect some prayers and promises to God and all that shite" each to their own beliefs, but that is a little bit offensive.

SSSandy2 · 27/09/2007 18:12

if you're uneasy about it and it all seems a bit strange, why not pull him out for now and skip this faith badge thing and put him back in next half year?

cornsilk · 27/09/2007 18:12

Most of the beavers roll about on the floor and do armpit farts when the leader is talking about religion for the faith badge in our group anyway. Our group don't do a prayer at all. So apart from church parade once a year and the faith badge (once every 2/3 years roughly) religion is hardly mentioned.

Original poster
23balloons · 27/09/2007 18:18

Regarding the collusion thing, the area we have moved to has a lot of large houses but mainly occupied by retired people - they have all lived in the area for a very long time.

My next door neighbour who was recently widowed has a very active social life - she is hardly ever home. When we phoned to enquire about a place we were told there weren't any but when we mentioned our address the guy knew our neighbour well and then we got a place.

When I went to buy the uniform there seemed to be a gathering of over 60s talking politics and mentioning a certain council meeting was rescheduled to clash with another meeting so certain people couldn't attend both - our ward has all local resident Councillors - none affiliated to a particular party (one who lives in our road).

Just seems that there are certain groups of people who have a lot to do with a lot of things in the area and I don't want to offend them by causing a fuss about the religious thing but I think ds has enough exposure to religion at school without spending his time at Beavers 'doing religion'. Hopefully once he has this badge the theme will change or we will have to pull out.

OP posts:
wildpatch · 27/09/2007 18:19

23ballons. your beavers sounds very religious to me.
my dc are in beavers adn scouts. the only mention made is in the pledge, 'to love God' and the harvest festival trip and remembrance sunday church visit. being muslim, i have no problems with the pledge, and as dh says, singing hymns never harmed anyone.
my father also went to cubs. he's muslim too.

change your beaver group if you are not happy withthe amount of religion they partake of. i would not be happy withthis much empahis on religion at such a young age.

pampam · 27/09/2007 18:20

My brother was told to leave the beavers when he proudly announced "I don't believe in God."
Luckily, my mum had waited to see if he liked it before buying the uniform.

Original poster
23balloons · 27/09/2007 18:20

SSSandy I am fairly certain if we pull out now we won't get back in.

OP posts:
Peachy · 27/09/2007 18:23

I took over a RAinbow group from an exceedingly religious person, and she ahd the group tailored rigt down to the christian basics- prayers, hymns, tours of the Church 9we actually met in the upstairs of one)- now, the movemnet DOES have a Christian absed foundation but is supposed to be less exclusive now- they do a Guide Hijab ofr example- but the truth is not everyone moves on, and not everyone wants to!